Consensus on KBD need of hour: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday said the country’s political leadership will have to forge a consensus on the Kalabagh Dam to ensure steady supply of water to all parts of the country throughout the year.

“People in power are responsible for the ongoing water crisis, as they only ask for vote and do not provide basic necessities to the public," he remarked while hearing a suo motu notice on the water crisis.

The chief justice observed that the government had done nothing during the last two years to ensure steady supply of water. He questioned the government’s performance and asked if they had prioritised the watercrisis and arranged for any funds to fill the gaps.

The chief justice observed that water along with minerals worth billions was being wasted every year. “I feel like begging for charity to construct dams and pay off the nation’s debt,” he said while expressing anger on the matter.

The additional attorney general spoke about water crisis in Islamabad, saying the federal capital needed 120 million gallons of water but was being supplied less than half. He said the rural areas on the other hand were not receiving water at all. To this, the chief justice said that after Karachi, Islamabad was in need of tankers.

Moreover, the top judge remarked that water was not flowing into Simly Dam due to failed policies. The officials of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad said no money was spent on water supply schemes after 1960.

They further said there was no choice but to channel water from Tarbela Dam. The chief justice observed that practical steps were needed to solve the water crisis. Emphasising the importance of water, the chief justice said the nation will have to give respect to water and rise to the occasion to forge consensus on the Kalabagh dam.

The chief justice said the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif must tell the nation how many dams had they built during their tenure for uninterrupted availability of water.

Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that plantation was limited to paper work while nothing practical was done in this regard. He regretted that water was not available despite planting 4 billion trees. The chief justice sought recommendations on water policy within 10 days and adjourned the hearing.

Our correspondent adds: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar Thursday took notice on a report of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) that Pakistan touched the Water Stress Line in 1990 and crossed the Water Scarcity Line in 2005, while it will face Absolute Scarcity Level of water by 2025.

From available 142 MAF of water, only 42 MAF is in use while the rest is being wasted in various forms. As per experts, the scale of its impact is un-gaugeable and situation calls for water emergency in the country and multifarious action as a national policy ranging from proper water management policy.

Taking notice of the issue, the chief justice clubbed the matter with a constitutional petition regarding holding of referendum on the Kalabagh Dam issue and fixed the matter for June 9 at Supreme Court Branch Registry, Karachi.